Vending machine



Oct. 27, 1942. c. GABRIELSEN 2,300,147

VENDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 3, 1940 INVENTOR 'm-r/sr/m Army/:4 .95

BY ea ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 27, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENDING MACHINE Christian Gabrielsen, B Rowe Manufacturing This invention relates vending machines.

It is an object of the invention to facilitate the loading and servicing of vending machines and, in this connection, to provide means for eliminating the necessity of the operation of the coin controls of such machines during such operations.

With the foregoing and other objects which will appear in the following full description in mind, the invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts and details of construction which will now first be fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing and then pointed out more particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a horizontal section through a vending machine embodying the invention in a preferred form.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the same line but showing the parts in different position.

Referring now to Figure 1, the device of the invention is shown as applied to a vending machine having an exterior casing l upon which is hingedly mounted at 2 a door 3. Locking means comprising a lock 4 upon the casing and a catch 5 upon the door cooperating therewith, are provided. The position of the door when closed is shown in full lines and its position when slightly open is indicated in dotted lines. There is illustrated diagrammatically within the easing I a vending mechanism having operating plungers 6 mounted in a plunger housing 1 for operating the article and storing and delivering shelves 8. These shelves are arranged in vertical columns between partitions 9 fastened to a back plate II) and are carried on shafts II. It will be understood that any of the usual means for operating the shelves so as to deliver the articles from them successively, may be employed. Such mechanism forms no part of the present invention and accordingly is not shown or described. As will be observed, the vending machine unit which is shown diagrammatically may be similar to that of my copending application for vending machines, filed of even date herewith. To one side of the vending machine unit there is indicated diagrammatically a coin control device [2 on one side of which is carried a slidable member l3, more fully shown in Figures 2 and 3, and which serves to render the coin control inoperative upon opening of the door.

to improvements in elleville, N. J., assignor to 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 3, 1940, Serial No. 350,807 3 Claims. (Cl. 194-92) In Figures 2 and 3, one type of coin control is illustrated, together with a method of coordinating the action of the slidable member l3 therewith. As shown in Figure 2, the member I3 is mounted by means of slots l4 upon studs l5 attached to the coin control body, and is provided at its forward end with an angle I6 adapted for engagement by the door of the machine when closed. Attached to member [3 at I1 is a spring 18 fastened to the coin control body at l9 and which serves to urge or bias member I3 forwardly toward the door 3. At its rearward end, member I3 is provided with a rectangular notch 20 designed to cooperate with the coin control. In the position indicated in'Figure 2, the notch 20 is so located as to be ineffective and the coin control accordingly operates in the ordinary way.

A coin control of the type illustrated, comprises an arm 2| pivotally mounted on the coin control body at 22 and bearing angular projec tions 23 and 24 which are accommodated by suitable openings in the outer plate of the coin control structure. The first of these projections 23 is adapted to act upon a coin so as to unlock the vending mechanism, and the other 24 is adapted to lock the machine when no coin is present. Pivotally connected to arm 2| at 25 is a link 26, the other end of which is pivotally connected at 21 to crank arm 28 aftixed to shaft 29 which is journaled in brackets 30 in the plunger housing 1. It will be understood that shaft 29 runs across below all the plungers 6 and a plate 3| for engagement thereby is provided. Each plunger 6 is provided with a depending portion 32 for engagement with plate 3|. Upon the pulling of a plunger 6 toward the dotted line position of Figure 3, the parts are caused to move in the directions indicted by the arrows. motion is opposed and the parts are returned to their starting position at the completion of the plunger operations by springs 33 and 34, attached as shown to link 26, and which have their other ends attached to the coin control body. To prevent operation of the machine when no coin is in the coin control and when the door 3 is closed, there is provided a catch 35, which is swingingly mounted at 36 on the coin control body, biased toward the position of Figure 2 by a spring 31 and has an upper portion 38 which enters the notch 20. The lower end of catch 35 carries an angular projection 39 adapted to stop the catch in the position of Figure 2 by coming in contact with stop 40 on the coin control body. This catch is adapted as shown in Figure 2 and This.

Figure 3 to receive the projection 24 above the abutment 4|.

When the door of the machine is open, slidable member I3 is urged forward by spring l8 into the position of Figure 3 so that catch 35 engaged within notch 20 is swung to the position of that figure, clearing abutment 4| from member 24. Under these conditions the parts are free to move regardless of whether any coin is in the coin control so that the shelves 8 may be rapidly tripped by using the plungers to facilitate the reloading of the machine. In this connection, it should be noted that the invention is of greatest advantage in connection with a tiltable shelf type of vending machine.

If, however, the door 3 is closed, as shown in Figure 2, member I3 is pressed downward to the position shown so that catch 35 is free to operate. Under these conditions, if there is no coin in the machine, catch 35, acting through projection 24, arm 2|, link 26, and crank arm 28 with attached plate 3|, will prevent the operation of any of the plungers. If, however, a coin m is present in the machine, as indicated in Figure 2, the plunger may be operated. Such coin will rest upon the curved internal supporting surface 42 and the curved surface 43 at the lower end of catch 35 and will be slightly to the rear of projection 23. Under these conditions, when a plunger is pulled, projection 23 being slightly in advance of projection 24, will engage the coin x and through it will push catch 35 rearwardly so that projection 24 clears abutment 4| and the machine can be operated. The coin, having passed catch falls downwardly from the coin control and may be caught in any suitable receptacle provided for that purpose.

While I have described the invention in connection with a particular form of coin control, the manner of applying it to various forms of coin control operated by one or more coins, will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vending machine, and in combination, vending mechanism and a coin control therefor normally operative to prevent operation of said vending mechanism, an exterior casing enclosing said vending mechanism and coin control and including a door, and means responsive to the opening of said door for rendering said coin control inoperative to prevent operation of said vending mechanism.

2. The combination according to claim 1 in which said last named means comprises a member yieldably urged toward said door and having an actuating connection with said coin control.

31 The combination according to claim 1 in which the said coin control comprises a movable member normally operative to prevent operation of said vending mechanism and said last named means comprise a part yieldably urged toward said door, adapted to provide clearance for said member when engaged by said door in closed position, and adapted to move said member into inoperative position when said door is open.

CHRISTIAN GABRIELSEN. 

